“I want to know how much longer this is a-goin’ on, Mister Bradstone,” he said. “This ’ere game’s a-gettin’ too thin. If you ain’t tired, I am. I suppose you thought you could give me the slip, but you reckoned without your man, Mister Bradstone.”
Bartley Bradstone leaned against the door and stared at him breathlessly.
“I do not know you,” he said. “You’ve made some mistake. You know my name. What do you want with me?”
Seth laughed shortly.
“Let’s go inside,” he said.
Bartley Bradstone took the key out of the door and put it in his pocket.
“Say what you have to say here,” he said. “I never saw you before. I do not know what you want with me; if you have come to extort money on any pretext, you’ve come to the wrong man.”
“Oh, no, I haven’t,” sneered Seth. “I’ve come to the right man. You don’t know me; but I know you and I knew Bella Lee.”
Bartley Bradstone drew a short breath and put his hand to his heart.
“You knew Bella Lee?” he said. “What has that to do with me?”